The Past Simple

The Past Simple

Form
To form a past simple, most verbs added with “-ed”

• We walked to museum.

• We finished our meal.

• They stayed in my house on Tuesday.

The form is the same in all persons.

Some past forms are irregular.

• I saw him ran away from me.

• I bought him a toy.

• I ate pizza last night.

Use did not or didn’t with base form for negative form

• We didn’t walked to museum.

• We did not run away.

Use did with base form for question.

• Did you finished your meal?

• How fast did you run?

Regular and irregular verbs are the same in every persons. Except the verb be.

• I was/ you were late this morning

Do not use did with was or were.

• I wasn’t hungry at dinner

• Were you tired last night?

• NOT : Did you be tired last night?

Use
Use the past simple for an action the past.

• I bought a car yesterday.

• I finished my homework last night.

• When did you go?

The past is the normal tense in a story.

• A prince of Persia ran into the desert and found the blade of time.

Use the past simple for states :

• That party last week was amazing.

• The Ottoman Empire had a special agent called “Janisary”.

• I believed in fairies when I was little.

Tip : Some typical time expressions with the past simple are yesterday, last week/ year, a week/ month ago, the other day/ week, at ten o’clock, on Monday, in 2001, once, then, next, after that. ( Oxford Learner's Pocket Grammar)

Present Simple VS Present Continuous

Present simple or present continuous?

The basic difference

The present simple is used for permanent routine, a state, or a fact.

• We play music in the café most days.

• Dave love pizza.

• Two and two makes four.

The present continuous is used for something we are in the middle of.

• I’m playing guitar at the moment.

Routines

The simple for a permanent routine and the continuous for a temporary routine.

Always

The present continuous with “always” means “very often” and sometimes expresses annoyance.

• I’m always losing things.

Comparison :
We always have a test. (every lesson)
We’re always having tests. (very often)

Present actions

The present simple can be used to describe actions as they happen.

• He shoots! And it’s a goal!

• I add the sauce and stir gently.

Past actions

The present tense can be used for past events to make a story come to life.

• I’m standing there, and a man comes up to me and grabs me by the arm…

The present tense can also be used to explain the plot of a story.

• Macbeth murders the king of Scotland, who is staying at the castle.

The written word

The present simple to report the written word.

• It says in the paper the game is today.

• The letter explains everything.

It’s also can be used for something that someone has said recently.
Maria says she doesn’t really care about love.

Tip : Use the present simple in instructions and explanations, e.g. You pull down the File menu and choose print. (Oxford Learner’s Pocket Grammar)

The Present Continuous

The Present Continuous

Form
The Present Continuous is the present of be + ing-form:

•          I’m singing a song. ( sing + ing )

•          The students are writing the papers. ( write + ing = writing )

•          It is raining now. ( rain + ing )

 Use not or n’t after be, for negative form:

•          I’m not smoking.

•          They aren’t playing/ they are not playing very good.

•          It isn’t raining today/ it is not raining today.

Put be before the subject, for question form:

•          Am I doing good?

•          Is it still raining?

•          Where are you calling from?

Use
The present continuous  usually used in a present action over a period of time, something that we are in the middle of now. The action has started, but it hasn’t finished yet.

•          They are watching us.

•          What are you doing? , ~ I am thinking

Time expression:

•          He is leaving Samarinda now.

•          We’ re having tea at the moment.

•          I won’t be long. I’m just ironing this shirt.

•          The customer is still waiting to be served.

The action doesn’t need to be going on at the moment of speaking.

•          I’m reading an interesting book at the moment (I do not have the book in my hands)

•          Is anyone sitting here? ,~ No, it’s free.(asking permission to take a seat)

The important thing is the action has started but not finished.

The present continuous also used in a temporary routine, something that will last only a short time:

•          We’ve got builders at the office, so I’m working  at home this week.

•          They are living in a rented flat until they find somewhere to buy.

Typical time expression :

•          This week

•          These days

•          Nowadays

•          At/ for the moment

•          At present

•          Still

Tips : The use uf present continuous is to talk about things that are develoving or changing over a long period, e.g. The earth is getting warmer.

The Present Simple

The Present Simple
Form :
The base form of a verb for present simple are know, take, etc. :

• You know the information.
• I take my sister to school everyday.

Form of the verb has (-s) or (-es) for the third person singular :

• Ben knows the information.
• He takes every single coin.

The negative form in present simple use (do not or don't) + basic form and for the third person singular use (doe not or doesn't) + basic form:

• I just don't know the information.
• The information do not make any sense.

• Ben does not know the information.
• He doesn't take his sister everyday. ( Attention : no takes his sister = wrong -- doesn't takes his sister = wrong )

Question in present simple use  (do/does + base form) :

• Do you know the information?
• What do we know about them?
• Does she come home?
• How long does the journey take? (Attention : How long takes the journey? = wrong)

Basic uses :

• For a present state : An opinion, feeling or the fact :
  - My girlfriend likes music.
  - Do you think it's a good idea?
  - This PC belongs to my sister.
  - Samarinda is tepian city.
• As a repeated actions such as routines, hobbies, jobs, habbits, and things that always happen :
  - She walks to campus everyday.
  - I work in Samarinda Square and I usually drive to work.
  - I don't always update my website.
• Time expression for Present Simple :
  - Alywas.
  - Usually.
  - Sometimes.
  - Ever/never.
  - Every/day/week/night/etc.
  - Once/twice a week.
  - On Monday.
  - In the morning.
  - At 9 a.m.

Word and Phrases

Word and Phrases

In English there are eight word classes, it is also called "part of speech".

Verb : be, take, see, kick, write, etc.
Noun : car, dog, idea, Samarinda, sadness, time, etc.
Adjective : big, small, high, low, natural, etc.
Adverb : badly, often, seldom, soon, slowly, etc.
Determiner : every, a, my, the, this, etc.
Prepotition : at, by, with, to, etc.
Pronoun : her, him, myself, you, something, etc
Conjunction : and, but, if, because, etc.

However some words have more than one word class or part of speech, such as :

• ·         I promise I will not be late ( promise : verb )
• ·         I will not be late and that is a promise ( Promise : noun )
• ·         When did humans first land on the moon? ( Humans : noun )
• ·         We should defend our human rights ( Humans : adjective )
• ·         Look at that place ( That : determiner )
• ·         This is the book that I would read ( That : pronoun )
• ·         I know that it is true ( That : conjunction )

There are five kind of phrases :

Verb phrase : has an ordinary verb and can be one more
auxiliaries in front of the ordinary verb.
( Was, arrives, don't know, have been working, can't see, etc. ) 

Noun phrase : has a noun and can be a determiner or an
adjective in front of the noun.
( Some money, a good game, nice music, etc. )

Adjective phrase : usually just an adjective but there can also
be an adverb of degree in front of the adjectives.
( Great, very old, most ridiculous, etc. )

Adverb phrase : usually just an adverb but there can be
an adverb of degree in front of the adverb.
( Very carefully, sometimes, etc. )

Prepositional phrase : consist of preposition and noun phrase.
( On the way, by sunday, for a long time, etc. )